Football cleat



Nov. 8, 1927. l 648 872 w. H. ALBEE FOOTBALL CLEAT Filed 001:. 21 1926INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. ALBEE, OF MARLBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 KOEHLER MANU-FAC'IURING COMPANY, OF MARLBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAS-SAGHUSETTS.

FOOTBALL CLEAT.

Application filed October 21, 1926, Serial No. 143,206.

This invention relates to football cleats and to processes ofmanufacturing them.

The usual process heretofore practiced of equipping a shoe with afootball cleat has consisted in cementing together pieces of leather tobuild up a block or blank of the desired height, then nailing thisassembled piece to the bottom of a shoe, and finally trimming said pieceeither with a knife or with a hammer and chisel to form a cleat or thedesired shape and size. This process ob viously requires a great deal ofhand labor, it produces cleats which are not uniform in size or shape,and there is great danger of cutting the sole or heel of a shoe intrimming the cleat. In fact, this process really involves performing thegreater part of the manufacturing operations on the cleat after it hasbeen secured to the shoe.

The present invention aims to improve this process with a view toreducing the expense involve-d, improving the quality of the workproduced, substantially eliminating the danger ofinjuring the shoe, andproducing a superior cleat. The invention also provides a novel cleat.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from thefollowing descrip tion when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

Referring now to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cleat blank or block;

Fig. .2 is a perspective view of the block after it has been trimmed;

Fig. I) is a perspective view of a completed cleat;

Fig. at is a transverse, vertical, cross-sectional view of the cleatshown in Fig. 3;

Fig.5 is a cross-sectional view showing the manner in which the cleatpreferably is secured to the sole of a shoe;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of another form of cleat embodying this invention;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cleat shown in Fig. 6; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are side views of portions of mechanisms which mayconveniently be used in performing certain of the cleat trimingoperations.

According to the present process the manufacturing operations onthecleat are first completed and subsequently it is secured to thebottom of a shoe.

The cleat may be made of any suitable material but usually it consistsof several lifts of leather 2 cemented together, one on top of theother, to form a blank of the desired dimensions. This blank is then runthrough or between cutters which trim its edges or sides, producing theinclined edge faces which give it the shape of a frustum of a pyramid,as shown in Fig. 2. The cleat is next molded or compressed in suitabledies or molds for the purpose of consolidating the stock, and ofconcaving the bottom of the cleat, as indicated at 3 in Figs. 3 and 4.That is, the bottom is inwardly curved, being given substantially theshape of the surface of a section of a cylinder, the axis of whichextends lengthwise of the cleat, so that the two edges at opposite sidesof the base of the cleat lie below .the remainder of the base; Thismakes the base of the cleat confo in substantially to the curvature ofthe sole of a shoe so that when it is nailed on the sole the edges ofthe cleat will hug the sole tightly. The concave shape of the basealsohas the advantage of preventing the edges of the cleat from curling upwhen the cleat is nailed to the ShOe, which has been an objectionablefeature of prior constructions.

During the molding operation and while the surfaces of the cleat areconfined against distortion, several holes, usually four, are punchedalmost through the cleat from the upper surface thereof, these holesbeing designed to receive the nails or other fasten ings by means ofwhich the cleat ultimately will be secured on the bottom of the shoe.The cleat in this condition forms an article of commerce. I prefer,however, before marketing the cleat, to drive into it the fastenings bymeans of which it is to be secured to the shoe, thus producing a cleatthat is entirely self-contained. A particular advantage of thisarrangement is that the nails can all be driven at once by machinery sothat a substantial saving in labor is effected, the nails are drivenuniformly, and the attaching ofthe-cleat to the shoe is facilitated. Thepunching of the holes practically through the cleat avoids the dangerwhich otherwise would be present of the nails be ing diverted during thedriving process,

with the consequent damage to the cleat and probably also to the shoe.Figs. 3 and i show the cleat C with nails l partially driventherethrough, the head and a substantial length of each nail projectingabove the upper surface of the cleat. These nails preferably are driveninto the position shown in Figs. 3 and a while the base of the cleatrests on a curved support so that the curvature of the bottom of thecleat will not be distorted. The points of the nails may p 'ick throughthe bottom face of the cleat.

The entire trimming operation need not precede the molding; in fact itis preferable under some circumstances to trim the block longitudinallyto produce the opposite inclined edge or side faces, then compress it,and subsequently, while the block is in the more consolidated and stablecondition, to trim the remaining pair of edges or end faces. The holesare punched later while the cleat is supported against distortion.

For the purpose of illlllilllg a cleat to the bottom of a shoe an ironlast usually is inserted withinthe shoe. The cleat C is placed in thedesired position on the shoe bottom, and the nails i are then driventhrough the cleat and into the shoe sole, the points 5 of the nailsclenching on the ear face of the iron last.- danger of splitting thecleat during this operation, or at least distorting it so much that itpresents an unsightly appearance, and in order to overcome thisobjection I prefer to confine the lateral faces or edges of the cleatwhile the fastenings are being driven. For this purpose the cleatpreferably is attached by means of a tool like, or similar to, thatshown in my Patent No. 1,568,308, dated January 5, 1926, this toolhaving a cavity to receive the cleat and support its lateral edges Whilethe fastenings are being driven.

Fig. 5 shows the cleat in cross-section after it has been secured to thebottom of the sole of a shoe S, the end 5 of the nail 4 being clenched,as clearly illustrated. By shaping the cleat, as above described, andsupporting its faces against distortion during the operation of punchingholes therein and driving fastenings therethrough, any danger ofsplitting the cleat, or distorting it substantially is completelyavoided. Consequently, when the process has been completed, the cleatpresents a neat and finished appearance. Furthermore, this invention notonly results in giving the cleats a uniform and more satisfactoryappearance, but it applies them to the shoe in' such a manner that theyare stronger and there is substantially less danger of their becomingloosened than when applied by the processes heretoforepracticed. Inattaching prior cleats there has been considerable tendency for theThere is considerable edges to curl up and thus providea crease betweenthe cleat and the face of the sole into which dirt and mud would work.The

crease also facilitates for loosening of the cleat. The constructionabove described, however, effectually prevents such an occurrence, thelongitudinal edges of the cleat the base hugging the sole tightly. Anydanger of cutting the shoe is completely avoided, and damage to the shoeor the'cleats due to improper driving of the fastenings is eliminat d.Furthermore, the cleats provided by this invention are preferred by thetrade because they can be applied to the shoe more easily, particularlywhen they are loaded with nails, as above described.

it is a common practice to secure a considerable number of these cleats,frequently seven, on the sole of a shoe, and usually three are nailed tothe heel of a football shoe. In playing on a muddy field it is foundthat the mud packs badly between the cleats so that much of theirusefulness is lost. I have found that this diiiiculty can be reducedvery substantially by making the cleats in the form shown at D in Figs.7 and 8. These cleats are made from a blank like that shown in Fig. 1,the longitudinal edges being trimmed by forcing the blank betweenstationary inclined knives set. at the proper angle to produce theinclined lateral edge faces, as above described in connection with Figs.1 and 2. The cleat in thiscondition is then trimmed to produce roundedor convex inclined ends, as shown at 66 in Figs. 6 and 7. Thistrimmingoperation may conveniently be performed in the machine shown inanother application, cetrain features of this machine beingshown in Fig;8.

Referring to the latter figure it will be observed that the machineincludes a holder 7 provided with a cavity 8 in which the partiallytrimmed cleat is inserted. Preferably the cleat has been molded beforethis end trimming operation is performed, and the holder serves toprevent any substantial distortion of the cleat during this operation,the holder having surfaces to engage the inclined edges and the concavebottom of the cleat. A spring pressed plunger 9 holds the cleatcompresed and firmly secured in the holder 7, while knives 1010 carriedby a rotary head 12 which is mounted to. rise and fall, shave or trimthe surplus stock off-the ends of the cleat. The holder 7 preferably isstationary while the knives rotate about it, these knives revolvingaboutan axis extending vertically and centrally through the cleat D. As thecutter head 12 is lowered the knives trim off substantially all thematerial projecting beyond the edges of the holder and produce theconvex end surfaces 66, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Substantially thesame organization can also be used in trimming frusto-conical cleats-asshown in Fig. 9, the cleat blank being sup ported on a post or holder 7,While the knives 10-10 carried in the rotating and rising and fallinghead 12 trim the blank down to the desired size and shape.

The cleats shown in Figs. 6 and 7 preferably have holes punched in themin the manner above described in connection with thecleat shown in Figs.3 and 4, and they are loaded with nails in the same way, care beingtaken to prevent them from being split or distorted while the holes arebeing punched and the nails driven.

These round ended cleats do not present the same opportunity for thepacking of mud between adjacent cleats as do the cleats shown in Fig. 3.That is, they do not present broad fiat surfaces in opposed contiguousrelationship to each other where the mud can wedge in between them. Atthe same time they have the strength and ground gripping properties ofthe cleat shown 1n 1 1g.

The method or process disclosed in this application is not claimedherein but is claimed in my divisional application Serial No. 178,7 32,filed March 26, 1927.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. A football cleat having a long and relatively wide base and a narrowtop with inclined edge faces extending longitudinally thereof-at itsopposite sides, said cleat having oppositely inclined rounded end faces.

2. A football cleat having a long and relatively wide base and a narrowtop with inclined edge faces extending longitudinally thereof at itsopposite sides, said cleat having oppositely inclined end faces and thebottom face of said cleat being concave for its entire length, wherebythe opposite edges thereof lie in different planes from the cen ter lineof said bottom face.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM H. ALBEE.

